


Get in the Ring

by MunkeySaiyan4



Category: RWBY
Genre: Cheating, F/M, Fighting, Implied/Referenced Sex, Kissing, Making Out, Multi, Reader-Insert, Rough Kissing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-26
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2019-06-16 21:57:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15446727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MunkeySaiyan4/pseuds/MunkeySaiyan4
Summary: You know what they say. "Love is a battlefield."...Or maybe in your case, a war zone.





	1. Fighting Words

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, readers. I present, for your reading pleasure, another X reader. Don't worry, this is just chapter one. I'll update regularly.
> 
> Please enjoy.
> 
> Or don't... You're free to do as you like.
> 
> ...But, please do.

Yet another day at Beacon Academy. A prestigious institute housing the future Huntsmen and Huntresses of Remnant. This is where the elite come to train. Where the best of the best come to hone their edge and sharpen their skill.

"You stupid jerk!"

It's also where you and your girlfriend torture the rest of the academy with your constant bickering.

For months now, the students at Beacon have been forced to endure fight after fight between the two of you. Watching quietly from the sidelines, or outright ignoring you altogether, lest they incure the full might of your combined fury. Some days it was picture perfect, the two of you would get along as well as any couple, cuddling and holding hands. The next, you'd be at each other's throats over the smallest thing.

Today is one of those days.

You cut your eyes to the side as she shouts at you at the top of her lungs, trying your best to look as defiant as you possibly can.

"Are you done yet?" you ask, acting as if you just tuned in to the conversation. The look on her face as she puffs out her cheeks is priceless. You always knew how to press her buttons.

"I swear," she huffs, folding her arms and turning away from you, "You're so annoying!"

"Guess that makes two of us," you shrug. You hear her shoe drag against the floor as she swings her leg backward to kick you in the shin. You can tell she was holding back, or you surely wouldn't be standing right now, but there was enough force to make it hurt pretty badly.

You inhale sharply, hopping on one foot and gripping the assaulted area to try and stop the pain. "What the-- Why did you do that?!"

She completely ignores you, keeping her back toward you as she inspects her finger nails. You continue to wiggle around, letting out an occasional grunt of discomfort, when finally she begins to worry that she might have hit you a bit too hard.

"You okay?" she asks, turning her head just enough to look at you from the corner of her eye. You could have used this opportunity to end your little spat right there, but that would just be too easy. As the injured party, you were honor-bound for vengeance.

You respond by reaching out and grabbing a fistful of her long, curly hair. Her eyes go wide as she realizes what you're about to do, but unfortunately for her you caught her off guard, and you move before she has a chance to react. With all the strength you can muster, you yank her hair down to floor, pulling the head attached to it falling backward. As you listen to the thud of her bum hitting the floor, you realize you might have made a mistake.

She sits there a moment, completely still. You call out to her, asking if she's hurt, but you get no reply. Yeah. You messed up. Suddenly, you hear her tongue click against the roof of her mouth as she begins to speak.

"Nobody..." she starts, her voice just above a whisper, "Touches..." she's starting to lose her composure now, the trembling in her voice letting you know just how badly you screwed up, if you hadn't yet guessed.

"NOBODY TOUCHES THE HAAAAAAAIIIIIIR!!!"

You back away slowly, until you feel yourself hit the wall behind you. Your body freezes in place as she slowly picks herself up and makes her way toward you. Her eyes are wide with anger, a crazed look on her face as draws nearer and nearer. You consider trying to slip past her and make your escape, but as if reading your mind her arms thrust outward, slamming against the wall on either side of your head to block you off. You stay completely quiet as she stands there with her face mere inches away from your own, returning her scowl even as she snorts and growls like a rabid animal. You show no sign of hesitation, no hint of surrender. Even in the face of a woman that could turn your face into mush, you refuse to back down.

 

...And you can tell she's loving it.

"You're a cocky little bastard," her lips curl into a devious grin. You feel her begin to trace her knee along the inside of your leg, causing your heart to pound wildly in your chest.

"Please," you scoff, "You love it, and you know it."

Her eyes flash with a mix of rage and desire. Her hands shoot from the wall to the sides of your face, squeezing and rubbing, just letting all of her emotions pour out into this rough display of affection.

"Maybe..." she smirks, touching her forehead to yours. Her fingers caress and tug at your hair as she presses herself against you. Her plump, round breasts are buried into your chest as she starts to make out with you, placing messy, lust-filled kisses across your lips. Your hands find her curvaceous hips and grip them tightly. You squeeze at her flesh through the fabric of her clothes, causing her to growl in approval.

"You seriously think you're gonna get lucky after the royal dick you've been?" she giggles, trying to psych you out. You're too smart for such obvious bait, though. You just smile to yourself before pushing her away from you, a stunned look on her face as you begin to walk away.

"What makes you think you're gonna get lucky?"

You can't help but snicker under your breath as you head for the door. You're sure she must be fuming right now. There you had her, all hot and bothered, just to leave her in a tizzy. Man, the revenge sex is going to be great!

You expect her to stop you before you reach the door, but as you make your way toward the wooden construct the room is still silent. Not a peep. You want to turn around and see what's holding her up. She was so pent up just a second ago, is she really going to let you walk away? But the moment she sees you look back is the moment she wins, and you simply can't let that happen.

You reach toward the doorknob and slowly begin to turn it, giving her an opportunity to change her mind, but you still hear nothing. It's then that your struck with the realization that you may have actually overextended your hand, screwing yourself out of an awesome make out session, as well as possibly your relationship. Still, you're not the sort to admit defeat, so you continue on out, and let the door close behind you.

You spend the rest of the night in your room, half expecting that monster of a woman to burst through the door and claim you as her own -- to break down your door and fuck you silly like you've been asking for, but much to your disapointment, no such thing ever happens. All you can do now is try to go to sleep and hope that things aren't too fucked up to fix in the morning.

End Chapter 1...


	2. Fallout

You wake up the next morning, still a little depressed from the way things ended between you and Yang the night before. You try not to think thoughts like: If only I'd kept my shit together, I could be waking up with her. Or: What the hell is wrong with me? You try not to think those things...but you don't do a very good job.

You decide that there's nothing you can do about it just by moping in your dorm. If you're going to try and patch things up, you're going to have to face her. And soon. A look at your alarm clock tells you that you're about to be late for your first class, and that's something you would rather avoid. You've been tardy twice this semester already. You really don't want to think about what they'll do to you if it happens again. It'll be hard to smooth things over with your girlfriend in a long distance relationship once they kick you out of Beacon.

With that in mind, you quickly make yourself as presentable as you can, given you've only got a few minutes before you're officially late. You sloppily throw on your school uniform and comb your fingers through your hair to fix your bedhead, and that's all she wrote. It'll be a miracle of you make it in time as it is.

***

You puff and wheeze as you slide into the classroom, only just making it by the skin of your teeth. Everyone in the room is staring right at you, a mixture of laughter and annoyed sighs serving as your morning welcome. You're pretty sure you hear somebody mumble, "Why couldn't he just be a minute or two later?" but you decide not to dwell on that. You've got bigger fish to fry.

You quickly scope out the room, and find Yang sitting in the upper row in the back of the room, dressed in her school uniform and looking all pretty and proper. It was a bit of a departure from the Yang you knew, but it was still cute to look at. And luckily for you it looks like she's pretty well isolated from the other students. You take the opportunity to invite yourself over and take a seat beside her.

You offer a "Good morning," but get no response. Instead she just looks on at the head of the room, watching your teacher start their lecture as if you weren't even there. Not the response you were hoping for.

You decide to ease off a bit. The last thing you want is to come on too strong. Nothing turns a lady off like the smell of desperation. You don't want to seem too disinterested either, though, so you make sure to throw regular glances her way and occasionally brush your ankle against hers for good measure.

About twenty minutes pass, and still not one word from her. Not even so much as a sideways glance. You're hard pressed for a plan to get back on her good side -- some grand gesture to win her over without making yourself look like a fool. You begin to doubt such a plan exists, when suddenly you feel a weight on top of your hand. You look to see another hand resting on top of yours, fingers locking with your own.

When you realize the hand belongs to Yang, you can't help but give a slackjawed stare in confusion. A minute ago she wouldn't give you the time of day. Now she's holding your hand out of the blue? What's with this girl?

"Don't play games with me, little man," she says, eyes still facing forward. You feel her hand squeeze yours affectionately, and though you're still not entirely sure what her thought process is here, you return the gesture. Simply relieved that she's not breaking up with you, you just roll with it. 

After whispering sweet nothings into one another's ears for the next few minutes, the bell finally rings, signaling the end of class. As you walk out into the hallway, you feel her lock fingers with you once again, tugging on your arm and eyeing you seductively as she tells you to follow her. You know it can only mean one thing.

The two of you giggle like maniacs as she drags you down the hall, nipping at you playfully and wrinkling your clothes. You can tell it's all she can do just to keep herself from tearing the damn things off your body, and you curse your luck for being out in the open right now.

"Tell me you missed me," she says in a commanding tone, pinning you against the wall once she's confident you're out of sight. You smile at her, letting your hands wander down her sides. Now it's your turn to play hard to get, and you certainly plan to make her work for it.

"I don't have to ask if you missed me," you dance around the question. There's a slight twinkle in her eye as she listens to you. She knows a challenge when she hears one, and she's never been the type to turn down a challenge. You stay there, pinned against the wall, just sort of letting her take control of the situation at the moment. She flashes you a quick smile, then dives in to kiss you on the lips. Not the most original approach, but the way she pushes herself into you so fervently, the sincerity in her movements. She certainly gets points for effort.

Her tongue laps eagerly at your lips, struggling desperately to gain entrance. You consider letting her in for a moment, but the way she moans with need as she licks at you sends chills down your spine, and you decide to let her beg a little longer. To your surprise, you feel one of her hands grab you by the nape of the neck and angle your head back, causing you to gasp and giving her the opening she needed. Her tongue darts into your mouth, swirling happily around your own in what could only be described as a victory lap of sorts.

She has complete control of you now, using her thumb to stroke you lovingly along your neck as she holds you with one hand, the other hooking around your shoulder to pull you tightly against her. She's cradling you in her arms, damn near sucking your tongue out of your mouth, just losing herself in the moment.

You've been on the verge of suffocation for about half a minute now, but that doesn't keep you from feeling disappointed as she suddenly pulls away from you. You look up at her, clearly a little flustered from the abrupt interruption. She simply smiles back down at you, no small amount of self satisfaction on her face as she admires her handy work.

"Say you missed me," she says again, a solitary eyebrow curling upward as if to dare you to defy her again. You, being the stubborn little shit that you are, take that dare.

"That would be lying," you taunt her. The playful look fades from her face at hearing your response. For a second you think you've upset her, but again her lips come back down against yours, redoubling her efforts on you.

Just like before, she kisses you with enough ferocity and duration that you nearly pass out when she pulls back. She props you back against the wall behind you, letting her hands and chin rest against your chest as she looks up at you almost pleadingly. "Come on, babe," she rubs a finger in circles on your shirt, "Say it for me."

You answer by biting your bottom lip, showing her you still have no intention of complying.

"Come on, man!" her voice raises unexpectedly. "You left me hanging when I was ready to get it on last night, and now you're just being an ass!" she stomps her foot against the floor. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to tell you've pissed her off. "Don't be such a tease!"

Um...who was teasing whom? If you recall correctly, she was the one ignoring you in class earlier, only to try and get in your pants now. You bring up that interesting little piece of trivia, but she waves you off dismissively.

"That was to teach you a lesson!" she says matter-o'-factly.

"What lesson is that?" you ask. You can't wait to hear this.

"Nobody messes with the Yang."

You can't help but cringe at her use of "the Yang". Now sufficiently out of the mood, you wiggle your way out of her grip and head off down the hall.

"Where are you going?" she calls, running after you. You feel her put a hand on your shoulder to stop you, but you shrug it off. What happens after takes you by surprise.

"Don't even think about pulling this crap again!" she yells in your ear as she slams her hand back on your shoulder, spinning you around to face her. She glares at you furiously, her countenance well and truly lost.

"You're not my mom," you mutter under your breath and shake her off once more. You make it a few steps down the hall, before you feel a pain in the back of your head. Not a slight discomfort like the night before, but actual pain. You drop to your knees and clutch the back of your head, the assaulted area throbbing in your hands.

"O-oh, damn!" you hear her stammer, her self control finally returning. You see one of her shoes roll around on the floor in front of you, and you realize she must have chucked it at the back of your head. "Are you okay?" she gasps, kneeling beside you, trying to comfort you. She reaches out to hold you, but you push her away and head off stumbling down the hall.

"Please come back!" you hear her voice call out to you despondently. Admittedly, a piece of you wants to turn around and let her apologize -- to apologize yourself for egging her on. It hurts you to ignore her like that, but your anger has the better of you at the moment, and you decide you'd rather punish her by giving her a little silent treatment of your own. The last thing you hear before wobbling into the boy's restroom is a pitiful "I'm sorry..."

 

 

End Chapter 2...


	3. Retaliation

"Morning, babe!" you hear Yang's chipper voice call out to you. Your eyes shoot open at the sudden burst of noise to find her face hovering just an inch or so above yours, a great big smile spreading across her face as she looks down at you. You blink a few times, still barely aware of what's going on, but after a few seconds it all comes rushing back.

You stare at her silently, making no attempt to hide the fact that you're not happy to see her. Your lips purse and your gaze narrows as you try your best to ignore her. It's been three days since the incident in the hallway, but the anger is still fresh in your mind, and you have no plans to come out of your tantrum anytime soon.

"How're you feeling today?" she asks with an awkward laugh, hoping you'll actually grace her with an answer today. She's well aware of the fact that she's not exactly on the top of your list of people you want to see right now, but after days without being able to hold a conversation with you, she's getting desperate. You respond by throwing an arm out and moving her out of your way before getting out of bed and heading to your closet to get dressed.

"You're not still mad, are you?" she asks, knowing full well the answer to her own dumb question, but daring to hope against hope anyway. You have absolutely zero interest in answering any of her questions, and again leave her with the sound of your silence. You grab the hem of your shirt, preparing to pull it over your head, but suddenly you remember you have a guest, and look back to check if she's still watching you. And of course, her eyes are glued to you like a kid waiting for Saturday morning cartoons. Why she actually thinks you're going to let that slide, you can't even begin to say, but you have no intention of doing such a thing in front of her.

"Oh, come on," she sighs once she realizes you're waiting for her to leave.  "It's nothing I haven't seen before!"

She sits herself down on the edge of your bed, waiting for you to offer an argument, but instead you just shake your hand limply in an attempt to shoo her away.

"Listen," she begs, "I've said I'm sorry, like, a million times now! Can't we at least talk?"

You give her an aggravated look, but her puppy dog eyes twinkle in front of you, and the icy shell surrounding your grinchy little heart begins to melt a little. "Fine," you finally surrender. Her eyes light up at the sound of your voice as she leaps over and locks you in a bear hug.

"OH THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!!! MAMA MISSED HER LITTLE--"

"I said we could talk!" you interrupt her with a gasp as she nearly strangles you to death. Her grip begins to steadily loosen, disappointment clear in her movement as you refuse to completely forgive her.

"Oh," she reluctantly releases you. "Right."

You have her turn around while you change, but you're pretty sure she snuck in a few peeks while you weren't looking. You can tell by that look on her face she gets when she does something she's not supposed to. You've seen it enough to know when she's misbehaving. And even if you didn't have her expressions memorized to a 'T', you know her well enough by now to realize she's always misbehaving.

After you're all dressed, you sit beside her on he bed and give her a chance to plead her case. "Well," she starts, eyes drifting down to the floor. A minute ago she seemed like she had an entire speech prepared, or something, but now she just sits there in an awkward silence as she seemingly digs through her brain for something to say. "You...made me really mad..." she finally manages to mutter, apparently not able to think of anything better. You screw your face up at her sad attempt at an explanation, but her hands shoot up in defense to keep you from interrupting her.

"I know! I know! I still shouldn't have thrown my shoe at you!" she admits. "But come on, I didn't hit you that hard!"

"I had a concussion," you remind her.

"Oops..."

The two of you sit there a while, both too embarrassed to look at the other. Despite the guilt trip your taking her on, you know damn well she wouldn't have done it if you hadn't riled her up. You never did know when to stop poking the bear. You know in your heart of hearts that you're to blame for this too, but there's not a snowball's chance in hell that you'll ever admit that to her. You've got her eating out of your hands right now, and you're going to milk it for all it's worth. You feel certain you could ask her for just about anything, and she'd go along with it just to get back in your good graces.

"I know!" she springs from the bed. "You can hit me!"

Come again? Did you hear that right?

"Yeah, it's perfect! Why didn't I think of that before?!" she asks herself as she takes you by the hands, pulling you to your feet. "You slug me one, and we'll be all square, right? Everything back to the way it was!"

You let out a low, grumbly "Uhhh..." and give her a deadpan stare. Yang is beautiful. There's no doubt about that. But sometimes she's not the brightest penny in the bank. She stands there excitedly, readying herself for her punishment.

"Come on! Make it a good one!"

You've just about had enough of this. Not only is it getting downright morbid, but your actually extremely offended that she'd even think you'd even consider hitting her. Sure, you'd tease her and yank her hair, but to actually hit her? It's true that she's the very definition of a "powerhouse", and she could more than likely shrug off anything you could give her, but still.

That's just insulting.

"Knock it off already!" you tell her, grabbing her by the shoulders as you try to keep her from bouncing around. "There's no way we're doing that."

"Aw, you chicken," she grumbles, shoulders slouched in defeat. You can't help but roll your eyes at her twisted logic. "Fine... Then can I just kiss it better?" she asks, slinking over to your side and burying her face in your hair as she begins to place quick, rough kisses on the top of your head. Even though your head doesn't really hurt anymore, you're pretty sure the general idea is to be soft and soothing. She's just pelting you right now. Though you guess it makes sense, given who you're dealing with. Yang has never been the kind to take things slow, and she especially doesn't take them easy.

"Come on..." she begins baby talking you between kisses. "This used to always make you feel better..."

You can't deny her methods are having at least somewhat of an effect on you, if the tightening in your pants is any indication.

"Maybe I should be kissing somewhere else..."

You catch yourself easing into her embrace as she pulls you in, nestling you against those nice, plush mounds you love so much. You hear her giggle as you accidentally release a relaxed sigh, then push yourself away from her before she can mind trick you any further. Sneaky she-devil!

"Oh, come on!" she stomps her foot. She was sure she had you that time, but you can't let her off that easy. You have to make sure you get the point across...but how?

"YAAAAAANG! YAAAAAAANG! COME QUICK!!!" you hear someone shout frantically before bursting through the door. "HURRY HURRY HURRY IT'S AN EMERGENCY WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!!!"

"Ruby, calm down!" Yang answers, jumping away from you and grabbing the shouting girl by the shoulders. "Where's the fire?"

That's right! You remember Yang having a younger sister named Ruby, and now that she's not bouncing all over the place, you're pretty sure you remember seeing her a few times in Yang's dorm. You've never actually spoken with the girl aside from an occasional casual greeting when you came by to visit her big sister, but you remember her being a bit of a spaz. Also that she's really cute... Why, if you hadn't been dating Yang, you might have...

That's when the gears in your head begin to turn...

"It's Zwei! He got into the trash again, and now he's puking all over the place!" Ruby almost weeps. "Its everywhere! How can such a little dog make such a huge barf?!!

"Why did you come to me for that?!"

"WELL SOMEBODY'S GOTTA CLEAN IT OR I'LL PUKE TOO!"

Yang rolls her eyes at her baby sister before turning to face you. "I've gotta go take care of this," she huffs, then heads for the door. You see her turn around one last time, looking at you pleadingly, "We'll pick this up later, though! I'm not done with you yet!" then, with that, she's gone. Leaving you and her sister alone in your room.

You see her standing there, mumbling something about how gross her room is. She doesn't seem to be even slightly aware of your presence until you walk up behind her and give a casual "Hello," causing her to screech in surprise. In her panicked state, she tries to run away from you, but for some reason ends up running straight into you and knocking herself down.

"Owie..." she sniffles as she rubs her head. You quickly offer an apology and help her up off the floor. "Oh, no! That was my stupid fault," she tries to put you at ease. "Silly me!"

You watch as she puts on a smile, noticing for the first time just how attractive she really is. The more you think about it, the more you like this twisted, insane idea you've got floating around in your brain. As far as you know, Ruby's not seeing anyone, so you decide now is the perfect time to strike.

"You're Ruby, right?" you ask, stepping closer toward her, causing her to blush once she notices the way you're looking at her.

"Um...y-yeah, that's right," she mumbles, twiddling her fingers together. You can't help but smile to yourself. This is going to be easier than you thought.

"You know, Ruby, I know this might sound a little weird coming out of the blue," you say in the best nervous voice you can muster, rubbing the back of your neck for good measure. "But I've just gotta say: You look really pretty today."

The dreamy "Oh..." that comes out of her mouth is more than enough to indicate you're off to a good start. Now you Just need to keep it going. You lit the fire, now you have to make sure it burns.

"N-not really," she tugs at the edge of her skirt, "I look the same as always."

Her face is glowing right now. Just one more little push, and you've got this.

"Well, sure you do," you agree. Her head tilts curiously at your remark. "You always look this beautiful." You let out a fake "Oops," to keep up your nervous guy act, and judging by the way she stares at you so dreamily, you can tell the game is set. She's puddy in your hands.

With Yang and Zwei having been all but forgotten, the two of you make small talk, taking a seat on the edge of your bed and slowly inching closer toward one another as she opens up to you further still. It isn't long before her hand finds it's way into yours, and you know you've sealed the deal.

Now for the next step in your diabolical plan...

 

 

End Chapter 3...


	4. "You Reap What You Sew..."

"Wake up, cutie..." Ruby's voice gently stirs you from your slumber. Soft fingers run back and forth across your bare chest, enticing you to open your eyes, and when you do, you're greeted by the sight of Ruby staring adoringly back at you. "Good morning," she whispers before planting a light kiss against your forehead. You smile, wrapping an arm around her waist so you can pull her on top of you.

She squeals in delight as you roll her about, her face turning bright red at the feeling of your naked bodies press against each other. Though you're not sure why simply lying on you naked is enough to make her blush after last night.

"Good morning, beautiful," you return her greeting before burying your face into the crook of her neck, causing her to giggle profusely.

"Q-quit it, you!" you she manages to speak between fits of laughter. "The blankets are getting all wrinkled up, and someone might see my boobies!"

You laugh at her assessment of the situation, then reluctantly let her roll off of you.

"It's almost time for class," she reminds you as she begins to dress at the edge of your bed, but you simply ignore her in favor of watching. She rolls her eyes playfully at the way you look at her, but does nothing to stop you. After she's completely dressed, you finally decide it's probably time for you to do the same. "See you later, aligator," she practically sings, sniping a quick kiss against your lips before bouncing happily out of your room.

Now that she's gone, you take a minute to reflect on recent events. You can't stop yourself from laughing at the little affair you've set up. For the last few weeks now, you and Ruby have been pretty much going steady, almost immediately since that day she came barging into your room. On the other hand, you've hardly spoken a word to Yang since that very same day. There were several times she would try to catch you in the hallway, or sit next to you in class, but every time you would go out of your way to ignore her. You've heard from Ruby that her sister seems really upset lately, though about what, she can't really say. Looks like your plan is moving along nicely.

You really are a terrible person, you think to yourself. And you really can't argue. Oh, well. Whatever works! With a smug smile still prominent on your face, you finish dressing, and head out.

Time to raise some hell.

 

***

 

The first half of the day flies by. You have so much fun watching Yang watch you, you can hardly believe when lunch time rolls around. You spot Yang sitting by herself in the lunch hall, pouting and playing with her food. You almost feel bad for her, but you tell yourself that this will only make the two of you stronger in the end, and with renewed vigor, you commence with the operation. You make sure to send Ruby a quick message to her scroll letting her know where you'll be, then make a beeline for Yang.

You stop just behind her, waiting for her to notice you, but she's just so down in the dumps that she completely misses you. "Mind if I sit here?" you ask, at last grabbing her attention. Her eyes go wide the second she sees you, her lips quivering slightly as the hint of a smile begins to form on her face.

"I, um, I guess," she answers, quickly adopting an aloof facade. She can try to play it cool all she wants, but you can tell she's ecstatic to see you. And to be honest, you're glad to finally see her again, too. Still, that's not going to stop you from getting your sweet, sweet revenge. Nobody smacks you with a shoe and gets away unscathed!

"So...finally decided to talk to me again, huh?" she cuts straight to the chase. Fair enough. You suppose you were going to get to this sooner or later. You nod in lieu of giving a proper answer, and watch as she fiddles with her food. "It's been, what, almost three weeks?" she feigns having to remember. You know damn well she's been counting the days.

"Sounds about right," you answer, letting her hear your voice for the first time in what seems like ages. It's not much, but you can see her smile growing wider in spite of her efforts to keep it hidden.

"So what made you finally come around?"

"I had something I wanted to tell you," you answer nonchalantly.

"Oh, yeah?" she raises an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. "Well, I've got something I want to say to you, too."

"Is that so?" your eybrow raises in turn. Now things are getting interesting.

Suddenly, you feel your scroll vibrate in your pocket. You can see Yang try to catch a glimpse as you pull it from your pocket, but you manage to keep it out of view. Just as you suspected, its a reply from Ruby:

"Wuts on da menu 2day?"

You crack up a bit at the situation. Here you are, chatting it up with Yang, all the while texting her little sister, who you've been fooling around with for the last couple of weeks, right under her nose. Oh, how fun it all is! How filthy! How fucking hilarious! Yang's going to be so surprised when she finds out! She'll definitely think twice before messing with you again. Sure, she'll be pissed for a while, but again, you can't help but think about how great the revenge sex is going to be.

"Who's that?" Yang asks, bringing your attention back to the conversation at hand. You give a short text back, answering "The usual," before sliding your scroll back into your pocket. "It's nobody," you lie. No need to spoil the surprise just yet. She'll know soon enough.

Deciding to play the gentleman for a change, you let her be the first to speak her mind. Until now, she'd done her best to play it cool, a lethargic look plastered on her face as you spoke, making sure try and seem only vaguely interested in your presence. Even if she was failing miserably. This entire time she's had a finger curling anxiously into her long yellow locks, giving her away. Only now she seems to have dropped the act. As you give her the floor, her entire demeanor changes. Her hands are clasped together in front of her ditheringly like you've never seen before. This is the first time in all the time you've known her that you've ever actually seen Yang Xiao Long like this.

"Truth time..." she breaths hesitantly before turning to face you. Something in her eyes catches you off guard. There's an undeniable scincerity that pierces your soul, and suddenly you catch yourself feeling like an ass.

"I...I'm sorry I lashed out at you like that, back when we...well, back when I..." she trips over her words. "I was just so upset, I couldn't control myself. I just like you so much...it made me really mad when you wouldn't just say something nice to me..."

Wait. Is that what all of this was about? You knew you'd upset her, but to ear her out it all into words paints an entirely new perspective for you.

"I've never really been all that good at controling my anger, and then I saw you walking away after I just got you back...I panicked."

"Really?" you ask without thinking. 

As she sits there laying herself bare, confessing all of her embarrassing little emotions, you realize what a bastard you've been. This isn't some rival for you to constantly compete with -- to try and one-up whenever you get the chance -- this is your girlfriend! And she's crazy about you! What the hell have you been thinking?! WHY THE HELL DID IT TAKE YOU UNTIL JUST NOW TO SEE THAT?!!!

You can't keep from slapping yourself in the face, interrupting Yang's confession. "Are you okay?" she rests a hand on your shoulder. This time, instead of shrugging it off like you might have a minute ago, you put your hand on top of it, and squeeze tightly.

"No," you answer, shame clear in your voice. "Yang, I had no idea you felt that way," you admit.

"How could you not?!" she asks incredulously, throwing her arms up in the air. "What, you think I hang around you because I hate your freakin' guts?! That I just sleep with you ironicly? Did you think I was just fucking you as a goof?" she says the last part a bit too loudly for your comfort. Several of the other students are now looking your way and mumbling amongst themselves, but she doesn't seem to care in the least.

"If you can't tell by now that I like-- that I l-love..." Your eyes widen and your heart stops as you realise the words that are finally coming out of her mouth. "That I love you," she continues. You feel a strange warmth starting in your chest and radiating throughout your body. There's a tingling sensation you can't quite place. You've known for some time now that you care about her, and she for you, but to actually hear the words after all this time. To finally be able to voice her feelings instead of just leaving vague little hints for you to read between the lines. It's a big step. And feeling a boldness brought on by those very words, you think you're finally ready to take that step too.

"I love you too, Yang," you say back to her, not waiting for her to finish. No sarcasm. No games. At this moment, you're being absolutely, positively, 100 percent serious. And she can tell. She's much calmer now. A sweet smile on her face as she looks at you shyly, blushing the exact same way she did back when the two of you first got together. With no more words really being necessary between you, you simply move toward each other and embrace, like you've both been longing for for a while now.

"I love you..." she chuckles into your ear, liking the way it feels to actually say the words. You run your hand up and down her back, showering her with the affection you've long deprived her of, and tell her the same. "Say it again," she whispers, pressing her cheek to yours as her grip tightens. You open your mouth to comply, but before you can speak, a voice from behind suddenly cuts you off.

"Yang? What are you doing to my boyfriend?" it asks innocently. All at once the warm fuzzy feelings you'd been having melt away, and you're left with a chilling sense of guilt and terror. You slowly turn your head, still held by Yang, who just looks on blankly. You're horrified when you see none other than Ruby standing there in front of you.

"What's she talking about?" Yang asks suspiciously. You smile awkwardly, unable to think of anything else to really do at this point. You're fucked. You know that much for a fact. All that's left is to watch it all go up in smoke.

"Seriously, would you mind not feeling up my boyfriend while I'm right in front of you?" Ruby begins to tug at your arm. Yang just sits there in complete shock, still waiting for an explanation.

"Wait a minute," she stands and grabs your hand, initiating a tug of war between the two of them. "This is my boyfriend!"

"Nuh-uh! He's mine! We've been dating and everything!"

Yang's eyes begin to burn angrily as she looks you in the eye, the all too familiar sensation of her tightening grip beginning to take its toll on your hand. "What is she talking about...?" she asks through clenched teeth. The last thing you want to do is admit your guilt. You only just got back together -- you can't very well just tell her you've been slipping it to her sister!

"Well...I mean...dating is such a strong word," you try to dance around the question.

"Wait -- what?! What do you mean, Buttons?" Ruby jumps in.

"Buttons?" Yang inquires angrily.

A shy smile makes its way onto Ruby's face as she begins to explain, "Oh! Uh, it's just a little nickname. I call him Buttons because of the cute little way he fumbles around with my buttons when he's taking off my--"

"STOP!" Yang interrupts her. Her eyes are staring straight into yours. You've never felt so nervous in your entire life. "Is it true?" she asks, the look on her face telling you she already knew the answer. She's simply waiting to hear you say the words.

Ruby looks back and forth at you and her sister anxiously. "Um, what's going on, Buttons?" she whispers into your ear. But you're too ashamed to answer.

"Spit. It. Out..." Yang's fist constricts around your hand. The pressure is more than anything you've ever felt before. Figuring that it's either come clean now or let her squeeze the damn thing off, you finally concede.

"Alright, I admit it!" you howl, trying desperately to pull your hand free. "But just let me explain--"

A swift fist to the forehead quickly silences you. She'd heard all she needed to. You don't fall flat on your back, like in the movies. You stand there shakily, just barely staying up on your feet, when you feel a fistful of your hair being tanked to keep you steady. You lose count of how many hits you take to the gut, but the last thing you hear is Ruby gasping dramatically as you're finally allowed to hit the floor. The only thing you can really think about before you black out is how badly this is going to hurt in the morning.

 

Karma's a bitch...

 

 

End Chapter...


	5. Concussions, Contusions and Regrets

Light. Thick rays of it pour in through your window as the shades are suddenly yanked open, spilling in and blinding you even through your closed eyelids. It's a strange thing, having your vision go from total darkness to an incandescent haze in the course of about two seconds. Your first instinct is to blink, but the burning only intensifies as you open your eyes. You throw your hands in front of your face and turn on your side instead, groaning weakly all the while.

"Uh...sorry," you hear someone apologize. "I thought it might be nice to let some light in."

"No..." is all you manage to grumble, and even that was barely audible. You feel like you've been hit by a goddamn bus, your head hurts so bad, and each breath you take sends waves of pain throughout your chest. Especially your ribs, which -- by the way -- you can tell at least a few are broken. What the hell happened last night? How the hell did you wind up in this sorry state?

Out of nowhere, a memory comes rushing back. You see your girlfriend, Yang, standing in front of you. Her face red with anger and her fists clenched furiously as she glares at you with bright red eyes. Not the kind she got when she was angry, however. They were the kind of red eyes a person gets when they're on the brink of tears. You don't remember seeing those when she was beating you to a bloody pulp. You guess that having your insides turned into mush doesn't do much in the way of helping your perception, and decide you're lucky to be rembering it -- lucky to be remembering anything at all, actually, after the ganking you just took.

"You okay?" the voice speaks again, more quietly this time to keep from hurting your head. You slowly crack your eyes open, relieved to find that the shades had once again been lowered. Finally mustering up the courage to open them completely, you see Ruby sitting beside you, looking down at you with a somber expression on her face.

"No," you answer again.

"Yeah, you're pretty banged up," she says in a tone that almost sounds impressed. "Yang really did a number on you."

The the mere mention of her name is enough to cause your eyes to shoot open. "Yang," you call out her name breathlessly. "Where is Yang?"

Despite the pain it causes, your head jerks back and forth, desperately hoping to find her somewhere beside you, sitting there angrily, yet apologetically for the beat down she threw on you. Much to your disappointment, though, she's nowhere to be found.

"Yeah, um...Yang told me to tell you that you guys are done," she breaks the bad news, trying her best to avoid eye contact.

"What?!" you jerk upward. You immediately regret it, though, as your body begins to throb profusely with pain.

"Well, actually, I think her exact words were 'I hope he dies! I never want to see him again!'"

"Seriously?" your shoulders slump despondently.

"Yeah, then she just kept yelling 'I hope he dies,' over and over again."

This is it. After all the fights, after all the ups and downs. After all this time, you're finally finished, and it's completely your fault. A fact of which you are all too painfully aware. Of all the injuries ailing your mangled body, nothing hurts quite so bad as your broken heart right now. The swelling and broken bones, you could manage. Mostly. But this was something else altogether.

"You know..." Ruby's voice tenderly starts again, "It's not all bad."

What is that supposed to mean? Of course it's all bad. It's horrible! The love of your life has washed her hands of you, and you're too broken to do anything about it. The way you see it, things couldn't get much worse.

"I mean...I'm still here." she adds hopefully. Your eyes lock with hers once she finishes her sentence. A gentle smile making its way onto her face as she offers herself to you. You can't believe what you're hearing.

"What?" is all you can say.

"Don't get me wrong! I was pretty mad when I found out you were using me to make Yang jealous, but after what she did to you, I'd say you're pretty much payed up."

Honestly, you're inclined to agree with her. You'd think the beating you took would be punishment enough. End of story. Message recieved, so everything can get back to normal. Too bad Yang didn't see it that way.

"Besides," she continues, "Even though you did kind of lie...I really felt like we had something special going on," she raises a finger and begins curling it into her hair nervously. I really felt a spark between us."

You're not entirely sure exactly how to respond to that. Its true, you did, and still do, like Ruby. Just not... Oh, hell! Even you can't completely understand exactly what's going through your head right now. Ruby is great, and it doesn't take much effort to imagine the two of you together for real. But not like this. Not the way you set it up, and not at the cost of her older sister. You really like Ruby, but you love Yang, and you can't just give her up like that. Not without at least trying to put things right.

"I do really like you, Ruby..." you start off, wanting to let her down easy. You soon curse yourself though, as Ruby begins to beam excitedly, leaning into you and practically hyperventilating as she waits for you to finish. You've obviously given her the wrong idea, which is only going to make this harder. You decide not to sugar coat it any further, and just tell it to her straight. "Ruby, you and I can't be together."

"What?" her eyes begin to water. Those were not the words she was expecting to hear. "But why not?"

"Damn it..." you mutter to yourself, watching the poor thing as she fights the tears back. Just a second is all it would have taken. Just one or two moments to calm down and think things through could have kept this from ever happening, but you just had to play your silly little game. You had to have some fun at the sisters' expense.

Not knowing what else to do, you extend an arm out to Ruby, ignoring the pain shooting up your muscles, and rest it on her shoulder. "I am so sorry, Ruby," you tell her plainly. You couldn't think of any better way to say it, so you just let it out the only way you knew how. It takes her a little while to calm down, but after a while she manages to regain her composure.

"You're right," she forces a laugh. "What am I thinking? We've got to get you back with Yang!"

You feel like a heel right now, that much can't be understated. You hate that you've put her in this position, but you can't help but smile at her selflessness as she puts it all behind her, even resolving to help you fix the mess you got yourself into. You can't actually say anything since a combination of emotions and physical pain have you on the verge of tears, so you simply nod in understanding to avoid looking like a pussy.

"Great!" she smiles at you. You look down to see her holding your hand in both of hers. "But first, you need to rest up, Buttons."

The two of you stare at each other awkwardly.

"Oops! I mean, Not Buttons!" she corrects herself with an emberassed smile. This might be a bit harder than you thought.

"Don't worry, But-- uh, Buddy! I'll come up with something!"

 

 

End of Chapter...


	6. Miscommunication

You stare blankly, a sour look on your face as you replay the words you'd just heard over in your head to make sure you got it all right. Ruby stands in front of you, a familiar innocent smile on her face as she waits for you to process her suggestion. She said she'd come up with a plan for you to get back together with Yang, but what she didn't say is how bad it would suck.

It's been a little over a week, and finally you've gotten to where you can stand with the help of an aid, a position Ruby has all too happily volunteered for. The two of you have been quite literally inseparable since you woke up after that beating from Yang, save for your trips to the bathroom, a journey which you insisted you take alone. While it's true that you struggle to get anything done without Ruby's help, you figure It's better to draw the line somewhere, hoping to make it crystal clear that the two of you are just friends. Nothing more. Nothing less. An idea your sweet little helper swears she understands, but the way she acts around you, all giggly and flirty, tells you a different story. You're sure this is going to be an issue somewhere down the road, but after what you did to her, you can't really bring yourself to send her away. That, and you genuinely need her to get almost anything done.

"So what do you think?" she starts to hop a bit, biting her lower lip in excitement as she eagerly awaits your answer. 

"Um.." you start, still trying to figure out the best way to tell her she'll see you in hell before you go along with any plan like this. "It definitely sounds like you put a lot of..."

"Oh, I did! I put so much thought into this!" the redhead claps her hands happily, assuming the rest of your response before you can give it.

"I was going to say wasted energy, but I guess it's the same thing in your case," you correct her, a hint of sarcasm in your voice. The predictably offended Ruby scrunches up her face before punching you in the shoulder, sending you toppling backward onto the floor.

"OMIGOSH! I'M SO SORRY BUTTONS!!!" she slaps her hands to her face in shock before scrambling to help you back up. You notice that she still hasn't kicked the habit of calling you by your old pet name, but decide not to say anything about it since you don't want to emberass her.

"Does it hurt? Are you okay?" she nervously scans your body, wiggling your arms and fingers to see if she's added any more broken bones to the list.

"My neck kind of hurts," you notify her.

"Oh, no!" she gasps as she lunges forward. "I broke your poor baby neck!"

Without thinking, she immediately dives in, straddling your lap for easy access, and begins placing quick little kisses on the assaulted area to try and make you feel better. Her lips are warm and moist, and the cute little noises she makes as she tries to comfort you only add to the excitement starting to flood your senses. You know she doesn't mean anything by it. It's just her own naive little way of trying to make you feel better. Soon, however, an inevitable reaction begins to take place after all the physical stimulation you've been receiving. A pretty girl on top of you, showering you with kisses. It's only natural something like this would happen. You do your best to shift your lower half, hoping to hide your growing...problem...but ultimately fail.

"Oh!" Ruby gives a surprised squeak once she notices you poking her in the leg-- and not with your finger, mind you. She looks down at you, her expression unreadable for the first time ever since you've known her. You wonder if maybe you upset her, until a shy smile makes its way onto he face.

"Buttons," she giggles, struggling to keep eye contact, "Your, um...your little..."

"Hey!" you snap, offended by her choice of words. You move your hands to her waist to try and lift her off of you, but you still haven't completely recovered from the ass whipping Yang gave you, so lacking the strength, you fail miserably. Ruby, who assumes you're just being frisky, let's herself back into the crook of your neck, kissing and licking playfully as she begins to slide herself back and forth across your body.

"No! Bad Ruby!" you shout, swatting at the back of her leg get her off of you. Unfortunately, the way she has you pinned restricts your movement, and you wind up smacking her rear instead. She let's out a surprised yelp each time your hand bears down on her, and after the third one, you realize you're only making things worse, and finally give up.

"Yeah," she whimpers breathily, placing a few wet kisses along the bottom of your jaw before continuing. "I guess I can be a bad Ruby if you want me to."

Again, she's completely misinterpreted your intentions. She slides an arm around your neck, reaching up and taking a fistful of your hair before tugging it lightly, and her mouth has gone from kissing to nibbling your ear. Her free hand begins to work at your belt, and resigning yourself to the fact that you're powerless to stop this, you lie back and let it happen.

Sorry, Yang...

 

 

End of Chapter...


	7. Apologies Pt 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long since my last update! It's been a bit busy with my new job. To be honest, I really missed working on this story, so it was nice to be able to do this again.
> 
> Hope you guys enjoy!

"I am soooo sorry!" she whines, clapping her hands together and dropping to her knees. "I swear, I thought you were flirting--"

"BY SCREAMING 'NO, RUBY'?" you shout in response, surprised that there could be any room for misunderstanding. You sit on the edge of your bed, hair ruffled and clothes mangled all to hell. Ruby doesn't look any better, with her corsette still unbuttoned and the way she's huffing and puffing like she just ran a marathon. If someone were to walk in here, there would be no way to hide what had just happened. You thank God, for once, that Yang isn't seeing you anymore. Otherwise, she'd be liable to walk in on this mess right now, and finish what she started. You're certain she'd kill you this time.

Ruby's eyes drop to the floor before tearing up a few seconds later. You take a deep breath, preparing to lay into her, but stop when you notice the forlorn look she's wearing.

"Awww, you're right!" her face plops down into your lap. You jump when you feel her forehead brush against the still deflating lump in your pants, and immediately begin shoving her off of you.

"Ruby! Watch the--"

"You don't even want me to be around you anymoooore!" she snots and hiccups as you push her back. "P-p-please don't make me go!"

"That's fine! You don't have to go!" you try to console her, still struggling to keep her off your ding-a-ling. Seriously. Every day with this girl gets weirder and weirder.

"Really?" she sniffles hopefully, looking up at you with the most pathetic pair of puppy eyes you've ever seen.

"Really..."

"Oh, thank goodness!" she breaths a sigh of relief. "I don't think I could take it if you left me now."

Something about that sentence hits your ear wrong, and you cringe as a result. You like Ruby. A lot. But if you want any hope of getting Yang back, you've got to make sure that Ruby understands, in no uncertain terms, that the two of you are done romantically. You hate to be the bad guy, but it's better for everyone in the end.

It takes you about half an hour, but you finally go through all the ways you can think of to let her know that the two of you are done. She winks at you once or twice, as if to confirm her understanding of some secret code or other, and you try your best to make it clear that that's not the case. She, of course, nods her understanding, but there's just no telling with her. The way you see it, you've done everything you can. You wash your hands of this mess now. Whatever happens next is someone else's problem. From now on, your one concern is making things right with Yang.

"Oh! Wait!" Ruby suddenly calls out.

"What?" 

"I've got an idea!"

You watch curiously as she pulls out her scroll. "Ruby, what are you--" you start, but her hand begins to wave in your face, silencing you as she puts the device to her ear.

"Hey, sis!" you hear her chirp. Your heart suddenly begins to sink into your stomach. Whatever she's planning, you know it won't end well.

"Ruby, no!" you begin to scream breathlessly, silently panicking as you desperately claw at her scroll. You know Yang can't see you, and if you shut your mouth she'll never even know you're there. At least, you should know that. Right now you're just so nervous that you don't even stop long enough to let common sense establish itself. You're still so embarrassed, so ashamed, that you can't bear the thought of her being aware of your presence. Even if it's just over a scroll call.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" you hear Ruby continue to greet her sister as she swats you away from her. Apparently your little trysts with her little sister did nothing to ruin Yang's relationship with her. That's good to know. At least you didn't fuck up everything....

Just almost everything.

You slink into the floor, hiding your face in your hands as if she were in the same room with you this very instant. You can see her face right now, boiling with hurt and anger like it did that day she found out how you betrayed her. You knew you loved her. You'd known from the beggining, but like a spoiled brat you chose to throw a fit. All that mattered was the attention -- and boy, did you get that in abundance. That old saying comes to mind: Any attention is better than no attention at all.

At the time, you felt the same. Thinking back now, though, you wish you would've just stayed in bed. Your heart begins to ache thinking of all the ways you could've avoided this. You had every reason to just behave, every opportunity, but like an idiot child, you had to keep pushing. Until you finally pushed too far.

"Yeah... Uh-huh," she contunes, talking about whatever. After a little while you finally begin to calm down, begin to inch yourself closer to the little device in a pathetic attempt to be near Yang again. Even if she wasn't actually physically in the room with you.

The girls continue chatting it up for what seems like an eternity, as girls often do, and not once is your name brought up. Not a single peep, suggestion, or even a tiny little hint is given that she even remembers you exist. You may have survived your initial beating she gave you, but she couldn't have made it any more clear that you're well and truly dead to her if she tried. Even to her own sister, her own flesh and blood, she refuses to unload about you.

She's not mad at you any more. She just doesn't think about you. In a way, you wish you could go back to having her beat the hell out of you, if only as a small acknowledgement of your existence.

"Actually, I was thinking we should go out tonight," Ruby adds nonchalantly. You immediately raise an eyebrow, intrigued by the sly look on her face. Again, however, you get that sinking feeling in your stomach. Her eyes promise you she's got something good up her sleeve, but you know in your heart of hearts that she's only going to get you into trouble.

"Sounds great!" she chirps, silently thrusting her fist in the air victoriously. "See you tonight!" You give her the side eye until she hangs up, then ask her just what the hell she thinks she's doing.

"Oh, don't worry!" she waves you off, "Your good buddy Ruby's got this covered!"

Her face is a picture of confidence as the words leave her mouth. If you were to look up "self assured" in the dictionary, you'd find Ruby's face just then... You, in the other hand, couldn't be more sceptical. If this plan of hers goes anything like you're afraid it will, you see bad times ahead. Meanwhile, Ruby stands just off to the side, dancing a big as though she's already gotten you and her sister back together.

You reeeeaaaally hope she knows what she's doing.

...But you doubt it.

 

End Chapter


	8. Apologies Pt2

"You ready for this, Buttons?" she asks, looking over her shoulder to see if you're ready. You sigh in response, both as an answer, as well as the fact that you've told her not to call you that at least a dozen times now. She catches on to your agitation, though, and quickly corrects herself.

"BUDDY!!" she tries to recover, punching you in the arm in a playful fashion. "Are you ready for this, buddy?"

Her punching continues, gradually growing harder until you can't stand it anymore.

"YES!" you shout, praying that will halt her assault. Luckily for you, it does. Still, as happy as you are that she's stopped pummeling you, you can tell there's something wrong with her. She's different somehow...nervous. Even considering how awkward she's been after the break up, this is a whole new level of weird for her. You watch as she anxiously scratches her wrists, and you can't help but worry that she has no clue what she's doing. Or worse, that she knows exactly what she's doing, and that you're not going to like it.

You sit beside her, equally as anxious as you tap your fingers on the table. From what you understand, Ruby's invited her sister to the lunch hall so they could hang out and put this whole messy business behind them...though she neglected to tell her you'll be joining them. A clever idea go lure her to you on Ruby's part, but you worry that you may end up with broken bones again once she realizes she's been had. Somewhere inside you a voice is screaming for you to stop. To just call this off and quit while you're behind, but you want to see Yang again so badly you can hardly take it anymore. Just thinking about her not being with you makes your stomach hurt and your legs shake. So, against your better judgement, you let this madwoman take the reigns of your life, and pray she doesn't wreck it.

Well, any worse than you already have, that is.

"Look!" Ruby suddenly screeches, pointing excitedly as her sister comes into view. Your heart stops once you finally see her.  It feels like it's been ages. You remember a time when looking at her made you feel like the luckiest guy on the planet.

Now?

Now you feel like you're about to puke. Both from the knowledge of knowing that you were so stupid you drove her away, and the fear that you may never get her back.

"Remember!" Ruby turns to you, straightening the wrinkles from your clothes to make sure you look presentable. "Just stay calm, and let me do the talking!"

That...doesn't sound like a good idea. Somehow, you don't feel reassured.

"You'll know what to do when the time is right!" she smiles brightly at you. For just a moment, you feel a glimmer of hope light up in your chest, but then you feel her lightly run a finger down your cheek, and just like that, you're freaking out again. You sure know how to pick 'em!

You look past Ruby, who's still oggling you awkwardly, and notice that Yang is nearly there. Overcome with a sudden burst of fear, you duck beneath the table and hold your breath. You wave at Ruby to look away, so as not to betray your position, and realize you've made a grave mistake coming here today.

"Hey, sis," you hear Yang greet her sister. It's good to hear her voice again. Especially when she's not screaming and threatening to murder you. Still, you don't drink in the sound of her voice long before starting to formulate an escape plan. You hear the two of them exchange pleasantries, and thinking the buxom blonde sufficiently distracted, you proceed to crawl away. 

Before you can get far, however, you feel, a boot slam down on the back of your leg, effectively pinning you to the spot. You look up to see Ruby still smiling as her sister goes on about this or that, gaze back at oh with a knowing smile.

This is it. The beginning of the end.

"Yang," Ruby calls her sister's name rather seriously, interrupting whatever sisterly gossip she was trying to relay. "I know you're probably not in the mood to talk about it, but..."

"Ruby, you don't have to--" the elder sister interrupts in kind, but again, Ruby speaks up.

"I'm sorry, Yang," she apologizes.

Silence surrounds the two of them for a moment. You can't see Yang's face from beneath the table, but you imagine it's not a very happy one. Since the day she left you a bleeding puddle on the floor she's been content to pretend you never existed. You can't imagine this will go over well.

"YOU have nothing to be sorry for," you hear her finally answer. "That waste of space is the one who should be sorry."

You didn't think there was enough left of your heart to break, yet here it is, shattering like glass in your chest. You go limp on the floor, desperately wishing for death to claim you, and end this pitiful existence.

"Well..." you hear Ruby clear her throat. "I, uh, I'm pretty sure he is.

"Good."

You see your friend look down at you sympathetically before turning her attention back to her sister.

"Yang, you know you're going to have to talk to him eventually."

Hearing that, Yang stomps her foot angrily against the floor, just narrowly missing your face. You inch away from her slowly, Ruby's foot lifting from your leg in shock, allowing you to resume your escape to safety.

"Why?! I don't owe that pig anything!" her fist hammers against the table, shaking the tableware across the surface with a loud clatter. The two of them look around and notice other people starting to stare.

"Calm down, sis!" Ruby, tries to soothe her sister, only to jump from her seat in fear when Yang raises her voice again.

"CALM DOWN!?"

Why did you ever think this would work?

"AFTER WHAT THAT BASTARD DID ME?! TO BOTH OF US!!"

You hear Ruby whimper, whether from fear or simply having her feelings hurt, you can't say, but enough is enough. She only did this for you, and hole you're perfectly content to play the coward to save your own skin, you're sure as hell not just going to abandon Ruby when she needs backup Taking in a final deep breath, you suck in what you're sure is your last breath before crawling out from under the table, revealing yourself to your ex.

Contrary to your expectations, there's no dramatic gasping, or angry screams. No punches thrown, or dishes tossed. She simply stares.

She stares at you, red faced and tears welling in her eyes just like the last time she saw you. You half expected the entire school to be piling on to watch this exchange, but every solitary soul seems to have mysteriously disappeared, save for Ruby. You guess they decided to get out while the gettin' was good. A wise choice, given her current state.

You think back to how the two of you used to sit in this very room, your lovely Yang sitting on your lap, flirting and feeding each other your lunches while these same people watched in jealousy. You remember how bright her smile was when she looked at you, and how nice it was to feel the weight of her shapely body bearing down on top of you. Even now, you can remember it like it was yesterday.

It's now, with that same beautiful face glaring hatefully back at you that you realize you can never go back. There's no clever way to apologize. No suave one-liner, or silly show of affection you or anyone else can pull off to get things back to how they used to be. She's an entirely different person toward you now.

You can tell simply by the way she looks at you...she hates you.

And as you've previously observed, it is absolutely, positively, one hundred percent your fault. Plain as that. This is how things are now. This isn't some fanciful little fairy tale where things just magically work out in the end. People fall out of love as quickly as they fall into it.

...Quicker.

Still, even knowing all that, you can't help but lay it all on the table. Even though you know there's no way for you to fix this short of walking away and letting everyone get on with their lives, you decide to give her what she deserves. Summoning up all your courage, you squeeze your eyes shut, and say the words you should have said from the beginning.

"I'm sorry..."

An unsettling silence covers the room.

You tell her how sorry you are. Unsurprisingly, she doesn't even flinch. Not so much as a batted eyelash. But you owe this to her. You tell her how badly you fucked up, and how you would give anything to take it all back. You stand there like a total moron, emberassing yourself as you pour your heart out in front of her.

You beg her not to be mad at Ruby before repeatedly going over how stupid you are. You go on so long you need to take a break for a minute to catch your breath before getting back to it again. It feels like you've been going at it for hours, when finally you reach the end of your speil. You huff and puff wearily, exhausted from talking at a hundred miles an hour, and watch her face for a sign-- anything that might show at least a hint of acceptance.

"Is that all?" she asks snidely, attmitedly to your disappointment.

Her demeanor is cold and uncaring, but at least she's calmed down. Somhow, she's visibly much more poised than she was just a moment ago. You look forward at Yang, who's already reseated herself and begun playing with her food. There are a million things you feel like you want to say, but you just can't think of the words.

"Listen," she speaks again, interrupting your thoughts. You look at her with a guilty-dog look on your face. "I don't want your lame-ass apologies."

Could that mean...?

"But I don't want your sorry ass back either!"

Again, you feel a piece of your heart shatter. You always swear there's none left of it to break after the last few weeks, but every time, you're proven wrong. You slump back on the seat behind you, your shoulders slouching as you accept defeat. There really is nothing left for you to try, is there?

You sit in silence a few seconds, still feeling her eyes on you, before she opens her mouth to pick up her line of thought. You hear her stumble over herself, unable to find the right words at first. There's a hesitation in her voice, but finally she continues.

"Let's just make this simple," she offers as she looks down at you, a kinder tone in her voice than you've heard in ages. "You just do your thing, and I'll do mine. Okay?"

That hardly sounds simple to you. She's more or less everything in the world to you. Yet again, something you should have considered before. It's not what you'd hoped for, but this has gone on long enough. At this point, you're just desperate to put this shit to bed. And while you two aren't getting back together, burying the hatchet will at least give you some closure.

You nod your agreement, and with that, she walks away.

End Chapter


End file.
